By Dipo Olowookere
The immediate past Managing Director of Fidelity Bank Plc, Mr Nnamdi Okonkwo, has refuted reports making the rounds that he has been arrested and detained for questioning by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
A prominent online newspaper in Nigeria had reported on Sunday that the respected banker, who was recently announced as the new Group Managing Director of FBN Holdings Plc, was grilled by the anti-graft agency over his alleged role in the transfer of $153.3 million from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to the former Minister of Petroleum, Ms Diezani Alison-Madueke.
The alleged transaction was said to have been made when Mr Okonkwo was the MD/CEO of Fidelity Bank.
He retired from the financial institution on December 31, 2020, and was succeeded by Mrs Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe.
Reacting to the report, which later went viral, Mr Okonkwo, in an exclusive chat with The Source magazine, said he was not apprehended by the EFCC as claimed.
“I cannot be in my bedroom and somebody somewhere will be saying, EFCC has arrested me and that I have been in the custody of the anti-graft commission for days,” he told the journal.
He further said, “I have been enjoying with me family [and] apart from going to the gym to keep in form, I have also held a series of meetings with my new employer in the last few days.
“So, I don’t understand what Premium Times is saying. I can’t be in EFCC custody and they will allow me to speak to you.”
Mr Okonkwo is expected to assume his new role at FBN Holdings next year. He is taking over from Mr U.K. Eke, who retires at the end of this year.
While at Fidelity Bank, Mr Okonkwo transformed the company into one of the most enviable banks in the country, which was what attracted the board of FBN Holdings to him. He is expected to also use his magic wand on the lender and position it as the best in Nigeria.
